V60 or Chemex

Pour-over brewers let you control every part of the brew. The paper filter holds back oils and fine particles, so the cup is clean and bright: the best way to taste the differences between a coffee from Huila and one from Nariño.

You need

• A V60 or Chemex and its paper filter
• 15 g of coffee for 240 ml of water (V60), or 30 g for 450 ml (Chemex)
• A kettle, ideally with a thin spout, and a scale if you have one

Steps

1. Rinse the paper filter with hot water and throw that water away. It removes the paper taste and warms the brewer.
2. Add the coffee and make a small dip in the middle.
3. Bloom: pour twice the coffee’s weight in water (30 g of water for 15 g of coffee) and wait 30–45 seconds.
4. Pour the rest slowly in circles, keeping the water level steady.
5. Aim to finish in about 3 minutes (V60) or 4 minutes (Chemex).

Adjusting

• It drains too fast and tastes sour or thin: grind finer.
• It drains too slowly and tastes bitter: grind coarser.
• Change one thing at a time, and write down what worked.